Nineteen communities were awarded financing totaling $73,652,980 for water and wastewater projects by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors. 

Approved loans:

  • Adairsville awarded a $101,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) emerging contaminants loan
  • Baconton awarded a $1,385,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) lead service line loan
  • Blakely awarded a $3,500,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Bryan County Board of Commissions awarded a $36,700,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Butler awarded a $2,000,000 DWSRF loan
  • Cornelia awarded an $809,900 Georgia Fund loan
  • Echols County Board of Commissioners awarded a $2,500,000 DWSRF loan
  • Georgetown-Quitman County awarded a $520,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Gordon awarded a $7,000,000 CWSRF loan
  • Lumpkin awarded a $2,930,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority awarded a $1,300,000 CWSRF emerging contaminants loan
  • Nicholls awarded a $1,110,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Oak Park awarded a $1,039,300 Georgia Fund loan
  • Riceboro awarded a $6,010,800 CWSRF loan
  • Rockdale County awarded an $800,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Savannah awarded a $1,196,980 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • Springfield awarded a $500,000 DWSRF lead service line loan
  • St. Marys awarded a $2,750,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Summerville awarded a $1,500,000 DWSRF loan

Project and loan details:

City of Adairsville

The $101,000 CWSRF emerging contaminants loan will finance construction of a sludge dewatering system and wastewater treatment facility improvements due to PFAS contamination in biosolids. The project is eligible for up to $101,000 in principal forgiveness.

City of Baconton

The $1,385,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $508,988 in principal forgiveness.

City of Blakely

The $3,500,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $1,286,250 in principal forgiveness. 

Bryan County Board of Commissioners

The $36,700,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the installation of a water main and booster pump station and well upgrades. This project will reduce the county’s reliance on groundwater withdrawals by extending a water main along Interstate 16 and making a connection with Effingham County. This connection will provide treated surface water from both Effingham County and the city of Savannah. The county will pay no interest on the 40-year loan. This loan is part of the state’s investment in surface water infrastructure for coastal Georgia.

City of Butler

The $2,000,000 DWSRF loan will finance installation of new water lines and construction of an elevated water storage tank. The city will pay 1.53% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city meets GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project includes conservation activities. The city is eligible for up to $1,500,000 in principal forgiveness. 

City of Cornelia

The $809,900 Georgia Fund loan will finance removing a water level control tower adjacent to the old water treatment plant, replacing drains, repairing the outlet control structure, and increasing the height of the dam. The city will pay 2.53% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city is a WaterFirst Community and meets GEFA’s affordability criteria.

Echols County Board of Commissioners

The $2,500,000 DWSRF loan will finance replacement of water main and installation of an automatic meter reading (AMR) system. The county will pay 1.53% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the county meets GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project includes conservation activities. The county is eligible for up to $1,600,000 in principal forgiveness.

Georgetown-Quitman County

The $520,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $191,100 in principal forgiveness.

City of Gordon

The $7,000,000 CWSRF loan will finance improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, including rehabilitating lift stations. The city will pay 2.53% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city meets GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for up to $6,300,000 in principal forgiveness.

City of Lumpkin

The $2,930,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $1,435,700 in principal forgiveness.

Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority

The $1,300,000 CWSRF emerging contaminants loan will finance a pilot test of advanced wastewater treatment technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants at the water pollution control plant. The county is eligible for up to $1,300,000 in principal forgiveness.

City of Nicholls

The $1,110,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $543,900 in principal forgiveness.

City of Oak Park

The $1,039,300 Georgia Fund loan will finance the installation of a new water line. The city will pay 4.02% interest on the 30-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city meets GEFA’s affordability criteria.

City of Riceboro

The $6,010,800 CWSRF loan will finance upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and pump stations. The city will pay 2.17% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city meets GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project includes conservation activities. The city is eligible for up to $4,206,510 in principal forgiveness.

Rockdale County

The $800,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the county’s drinking water system. The county will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The county is eligible for up to $294,000 in principal forgiveness.

 City of Savannah

The $1,196,980 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance conducting a baseline inventory of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $293,260 in principal forgiveness.

City of Springfield

The $500,000 DWSRF lead service line loan will finance conducting a baseline inventory of potential lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement in the city’s drinking water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for up to $122,500 in principal forgiveness.

City of St. Marys

The $2,750,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the rehabilitation of lift stations and water main replacement. The city will pay 4.03% interest on the 20-year loan. 

City of Summerville

The $1,500,000 DWSRF loan will finance construction of a water storage tank. The city will pay 2.53% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because the city meets GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for up to $900,000 in principal forgiveness. 

Other GEFA board actions:

Resolution

The board approved a resolution to recognize the service of Jammie Harden as the director of financial services for GEFA upon his retirement from public service. 

City of Fort Gaines

The board approved a $1,039,800 increase to a CWSRF loan originally approved in August 2023 to finance construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and sewer installation.